


Torn Apart

by DecemberWildfire



Series: Gaara x Harley Non-Canon Fics [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Breakup, F/M, Fluff, Gaara - Freeform, Gaaraxoc - Freeform, Kazekage - Freeform, Romance, Sunagakure - Freeform, naruto - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27069634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DecemberWildfire/pseuds/DecemberWildfire
Summary: Gaara is dating the love of his life, but the disapproval of Suna's elders complicates things. (One-shot)
Relationships: Gaara (Naruto)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Gaara x Harley Non-Canon Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975669
Kudos: 27





	Torn Apart

**Author's Note:**

> So this is based on another anime dream I had (seems I've been having a lot of those lately) where Gaara and Harley were forced to break up. This is NOT canon to my other Gaara x OC stories. I'm thinking of starting a sub-series of fics for when my brain decides to go into a bunch of "what if" scenarios.
> 
> As a sidenote: the elders in my canon timeline actually are very fond of Harley and her contributions to the village; I just wanted to explore the idea of them not liking her simply because she's a civilian.

_"Whaaaat?! The Kazekage has a GIRLFRIEND?! Who woulda thought!"_

Indeed.

Gaara had been dating Harley Greene for around two years now. Anyone who knew him at all would argue that he had never been happier. Harley had been his long lost childhood friend, who had fallen in love with him upon their reunion several years back. She knew everything he had been through, and had witnessed a great deal of it. She was the only one who never once viewed him as a monster, and was constantly showering him in love. She helped his heart heal so much.

But the elders of Suna didn't care about any of this. Gaara's happiness meant very little to them. All that mattered was appearances. They let this "love phase," as they called it, go on for a while, hoping it would end somehow and they wouldn't have to intervene. The girl was a civilian, after all. She had no way of defending herself against any kind of shinobi attacks. How could the Kazekage be with someone like that? A few of the elders were worried that Gaara would pop the question soon. They couldn't allow that to happen. If he was going to marry, it would be to a respectable kunoichi of their choosing.

They knew trying to convince Gaara to end it would be futile. No, they needed to manipulate Harley, the easier victim in their eyes. Now they just needed a plan.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Harley was going through her large stack of paperwork. Being the Kazekage's assistant meant a lot of monotonous tasks, but she didn't mind.

Gaara was out of town for the day with Temari and Kankuro. That meant Harley was alone.

Three of the elders, two men and one woman, entered her office.

"Put the pen down, Harley," one of them spoke. "You're done here."

"Um… excuse me?"

She was not at all happy to see them. A little while ago they had tried the direct approach, asking her to break it off with Gaara, to see how it went. They were now forced into more underhanded methods.

"I wanted to be civil about this. I really did," the man continued. "We tried to play nice with you, but it seems that you have no intention of leaving."

"Of course not! I told you, I'm committed to Gaara. What's your guys' problem, anyway?"

"You realize we have connections around the world, right?"

"Yes, I'm well aware."

"Then you know we could've gotten rid of you a long time ago had we chosen to. You have no ninja powers, so you would be easy. But we've been patient. We don't want to have to resort to that, so we're giving you one last chance."

"Are you _threatening_ me?"

"Imagine Gaara waking up one morning and finding you dead. What's more, we could frame anyone we wanted to. Temari or Kankuro, for instance. Or even that Naruto from Konoha he looks up to so much. It would be an easy task. He would never be able to trust them again. He would carry the guilt for the rest of his life. Is that what you want?"

_They wouldn't. Are they insane?_

"Listen Harley," the woman said. "We truly don't want to do this. We like you. It's just that Gaara is no ordinary man. As Kazekage, he can't marry someone so defenseless who would just be baggage to hold him back. He's busy and can't always protect you. But rest assured, we will see to it that he marries well."

She felt like she was going to puke. "I-"

"Here's the plan," the first man cut her off. "We want you gone by tomorrow. Use today to pack your things, and break it off with Gaara when he returns in the morning. And don't even think about telling him or anyone else what we've discussed here. Our spies are everywhere. If you fail to comply, we will come after you. And keep in mind that we're more than capable of going after your friends and family too."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Gaara was back in his office, unloading and getting situated. It was a quiet morning. He was planning to go over to Harley's office since he hadn't seen her yet, but she beat him to it.

"...Hey," she said, shyly standing in the doorway.

"Hey. I was just about to come see you," he said.

Something was wrong. Very wrong. This girl who was always smiling and radiating sunshine wasn't even looking him in the eye. She looked sad; almost sickly.

"We… _I_ can't do this anymore," she began. "The two of us, it just can't work. I need to go. I'm sorry."

Gaara's heart skipped a beat as he immediately rushed over to her. Did she really just say that?

"W-what…? Where's all this coming from?" he asked, suddenly panicked. "What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, but she turned away.

"No, it's not you. I just can't be with you anymore."

"This is all… so sudden. Can we at least talk about this?"

She turned back to the door so he wouldn't see the tears running down her face. "I'm sorry. We're done."

She descended down the hall and Gaara simply stood there, paralyzed in shock. His heart sunk into an abyss.

_What did I do? What did I do…?_

_Harley… come back…_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

She was sitting on the train, traveling to God knows where. Her heart was in pieces. Seeing the look on Gaara's face when she told him… it was the worst thing she'd ever seen and it destroyed her.

How badly she wished she could tell him. She wanted so much to rat the elders out, and have them apprehended before they were able to hurt anyone. But who knows how many hidden cameras or voice recorders they might've placed? Not just in Suna either; they could've put them everywhere, including other villages. They had that kind of power.

It wasn't so much that she was scared for her own life, though that was part of it. She knew full well that, had the elders carried out their plan, they would make sure that Gaara was as miserable as possible. They would make him believe it was his fault.

How such evil, heartless people could ever get onto the council she would never understand.

The train made a stop at the Hidden Waterfall Village, where she randomly decided she would get off. She searched for the nearest hotel.

"I need a room," she told the lady at the desk.

"Sweetie, are you all right?" the woman asked, taken aback by her pale face and bloodshot eyes. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"I just… need a room. Please."

"Okay, then…"

She handed her the room key. "Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything."

Harley walked down the hall as quickly as she could. Her head was spinning. She needed to lie down.

Dropping her things wherever and flopping down on the bed, she started thinking about Gaara and their times together. She remembered the time when they were kids, when she actually witnessed Yashamaru saying those horrible things to him, and how she ran up and hugged the heartbroken Gaara and assured him that he was loved at least by her.

She thought of the times when he'd get _so_ excited to show her his new cacti, and how he could talk to her about them for hours and she wouldn't even get bored, no matter how dry the subject was. His face lighting up was a beautiful sight.

She reminisced about all the times she felt sad, anxious, unwanted by the village, or like she didn't fit in. How he would hold her and comfort her until she felt better. How warm and safe she felt in his arms…

They would hang out on the estate's rooftop on date nights, where she would always tell him five different things she loved about him (at minimum). He would then do the same for her.

She remembered him laughing for the first time since they were kids, and how it was her doing.

They had spent so many late nights talking about the future. He had such beautiful visions for the village. He wanted to make sure that no one, especially children, would ever have to suffer like he did. He wanted to reform so many things.

No matter how busy he was with Kazekage responsibilities, he would always make time for her; bringing her little gifts, leaving her sweet notes, coming over to talk or just sit and be together. He never failed to kiss her goodnight, no matter how exhausted he was.

He was the kindest person with the biggest heart she'd ever known. She loved him so much.

Clutching one of the pillows to her chest, she began to sob into it. She'd never be able to hold him or laugh with him again.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The elders were all having a meeting in the council room. Gaara wasn't there, as he had literally become sick with heartbreak and was physically unable to get out of bed that day. He had been throwing up all night. The elders claimed he was just being dramatic.

Baki wasn't supposed to be there, but his mission got cancelled at the last minute, so he decided to attend after all; though late. He'd fill Gaara in later, and would be sure to go check on him as soon as the meeting was over.

As he approached the room from down the hall, he could hear the elders talking; thinking they were keeping their voices down when they really weren't doing a good job of it.

"We finally got rid of that stupid girl, so now we can move forward with our plans to find him a _respectable_ wife," Baki heard one of them speak. He didn't enter the room or make his presence known. He hid behind the wall and listened.

"What about Lord Kazekage's well being?" another elder asked. This particular one was not in on their plan. Neither were several others in the group. They found the whole thing a bit appalling.

"He'll get over it. She's just a girl. Not that important."

"I understand you did this out of concern for the village and its respectability… but did you three _really_ threaten to kill that girl and her loved ones if she didn't leave?"

Baki let out a silent gasp. He rushed down the hall as quickly and quietly as he could.

_Gaara! Gaaraaaaaa!_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It had been two days. Or three. She didn't even know anymore.

She had hardly gotten out of that hotel bed during that time, unsure of where she was even going to go. She supposed moving back to her home country would be the most realistic.

Staring at the ceiling, she was hoping and praying that Gaara was doing okay; that he would be able to move on like the strong person she knew he was.

A loud knock on her door snapped her out of her trance.

She didn't want to answer it. On top of everything else, her hair was a mess and she probably smelled like a sweaty gorilla from not showering in several days. But the knocks kept coming.

She reluctantly got up and answered the door, shocked to find out who it was.

"...Kankuro? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take you home."

"Um…" she stepped out of the way, motioning him to come in.

"How… did you even find me?" she asked, not knowing what else to say in that moment.

"Had to call a lot of hotels," he said.

She sat down on the bed, rubbing her tired eyes. "I'm sorry. I can't go back with you."

"Relax. We know everything that happened."

"Wait, what?! How?!"

"Baki overheard the elders talking. He told us everything."

She felt some warmth in her heart after hearing that. Baki was such a good guy, always looking out for her and the sand siblings.

"But, what if they retaliate? It's not safe for you to be here!" she said, suddenly panicked.

Kankuro laughed. "Seriously, don't worry about it. Basically, after we found out, Temari went and screamed at them for five straight hours, and then they were arrested for their little conspiracy. They won't be bothering you anymore. Also, if anyone ever tells you again that they have 'spies everywhere,' don't believe them. It's a load of crap."

Harley let out a sigh of relief, but she was still conflicted.

"I'm glad they were caught," she began after a moment. "And I appreciate you coming all the way out here, but I still can't go back."

"Why not?"

"I... broke his heart…"

"It wasn't your fault, and he knows this."

"Even so… if only you saw his face when I… it was horrible."

"Again, not your fault."

"It's not a matter of casting blame. Something like this could happen again. I don't care what the elders think of me. But I can't go back, because Gaara is too kind and too pure to have to be with someone who could be taken away from him at any moment, and to have his heart broken over and over. I refuse to do that to him. I don't ever want his heart to break again. He doesn't deserve that."

"I'm gonna be honest with you. My brother is resilient and he'll be able to move on from whatever he needs to and still be good at what he does. But even so, he's miserable without you. He loves you more than anything in the world. Do you realize that? Think of it this way: if you leave, those crusty old elders will arrange for him to marry someone of their choosing. But it'll never be fair to that person, because Gaara's heart will always belong to you. There's no changing that."

Tears started spilling down her face. She sloppily wiped them away with her sleeve. She couldn't make out any words. He was such a good brother; both to Gaara and to her.

"Come on," Kankuro said, holding out a hand. "Let's go home."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Harley dropped her bags down on her apartment floor; relieved that she didn't have to abandon it after all. She showered so she wouldn't be so gross when she… visited him.

His office was getting closer as she made her way down the hall. She had never felt nervous around him until now. Finally approaching, she softly knocked on the already open door.

"...Gaara?"

His head shot up from his paperwork at the sound of her voice.

"...Can I come in?"

"Of course," he said, walking over to meet her. He invited her to sit on the couch.

They were silent for a long time. How badly he wanted to wrap his arms around her; but he knew it wasn't the time for that.

Harley felt the strange urge to be formal with him, even though he was her best friend.

"I know that 'sorry' doesn't even begin to cover it-"

"No, don't be sorry. There's nothing to apologize for. _I'm_ sorry that you had to go through this…"

He gently held her hand, but she cringed in guilt.

"I don't deserve to be with you…" she said.

"Why would you say that?"

She finally looked him in the eyes, with tears filling up her own. "I promised I'd never hurt you."

He knew that was an unrealistic promise even back when she made it, and that was okay. She was only human just like anyone else.

He felt terrible that she was carrying so much guilt. He hated it.

"Please understand that I'm not at all angry with you. None of this was your fault. I love you, Harley, but whatever you decide to do, I just want you to be happy."

He was so kind. So selfless. She gazed into his eyes for a moment, before leaning in and kissing him; making her decision clear.

"You know I'll always love you," she said.

He smiled his sweet, warm smile that always made her heart melt. "Come here," he said, pulling her into a hug.

She rested her head on his shoulder, beginning to cry. She almost felt embarrassed at how much she was crying.

_"I'm so sorry. I'm SO sorry…"_

"It's okay," he whispered, kissing her forehead and rubbing her back.

"I love you, Gar. I always will, no matter what."

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, there's my attempt at both fluff and angst. Seems like most of my fics lately have been dream inspired; or at least what I can remember from dreams.
> 
> Again, not canon; I just remember seeing an interesting take on how the elders' approval of Gaara's s/o would be important in this way, and wanted to explore it in my own stupid, cheesy way.


End file.
